Memorial to Admiral Arthur Phillip by Charles Leonard Hartwell

[Click on these images for larger pictures.] Photographs and caption by Robert Freidus. Formatting, perspective correction, and additional text by George P. Landow. You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link your document to this URL in a web document or cite the Victorian Web in a print one.]

History of the monument, its destruction, and replacement

Memorial to Admiral Arthur Phillip by Charles Leonard Hartwell (modern copy by W. Hamilton Buchan and Sharon A. M. Keenan). Original memorial 1932; most of the features of the present memorial date from 1968, 1976, and 2000. Bust originally bronze; bust now in resin coloured to resemble bronze; reliefs and descriptive panels beneath bronze; structure of monument, including main inscription panel, stone. Ward-Jackson explains, “Some parts of the memorial as it exists today are survivals from a large bronze wall monument in the style of the late eighteenth century, attached to the front of the church of St. Mildred Bread Street. This original memorial, which was blown down when a parachute mine destroyed the church on 17 April 1941, had been unveiled by Prince George, the future King George VI, on December 7, 1932.” Present location: Watling Street at the edge of a small garden in front of 25 Cannon Street, facing the front of New Change Buildings.

Vice-Admiral Arthur Phillip (1738-1814), first governor of New
South Wales and founder of Sydney, Australia [from the DNB (1905)

Arthur Phillip was born in the parish of All-hallows, Bread Street, London, on 11 Oct.
1738, the son of a teacher of languages . . . His mother was Elizabeth (née Breach), the widow of Captain Herbert, R.N. The boy,
being intended for the navy, was educated
at Greenwich, and in 1755 became a midshipman
in the Buckingham; this vessel
was on the home station till April 1756,
and then went as second flagship under Admiral Byng to the Mediterranean, where
Philip first saw active service. He followed
his captain, Everett, to the larger ship,
Union, and
then to the Stirling Castle, which
went to the West Indies in 1761. He was at
the siege of Havannah in 1762, and was
there promoted lieutenant on 7 June 1762.

In 1763, when peace was declared, Phillip
married and settled at Lyndhurst, where he
passed his time in farming and the ordinary
magisterial and social occupations of a country
gentleman. But it would appear that
about 1776 he offered his services to the
government of Portugal, and did valuable work
in that country. On the outbreak of hostilities between France and Great Britain
in 1778, he returned to serve under his own
flag. On 2 Sept. 1779 he obtained the command
of the Basilisk fireship; on 80 Nov.
1781 he was promoted post-captain to the
Ariadne, and on 23 Dec. transferred to the
Europe of 64 guns. Throughout 1782 he
was cruising, and in January 1783 was
ordered to the East Indies, but arrived home
in May 1784, without being in action.

In 1786 Phillip was assigned the duty of
forming a convict settlement in Australia.
. . . Phillip proved exceptionally
well suited for the work. From September
1786 he was engaged in organising the expedition, and on 27 April 1787 he received his formal commission and instructions. The
'first fleet,' as it was so long called in Aus-
tralia, consisted of the frigate Sirius, Captain (afterwards admiral) Hunter (1738-1821) , the tender Supply, three store-ships, and six transports with the convicts and
their guard of marines. On 13 May 1787 it
set sail, Phillip hoisting his flag on the Sirius.
Dangers began early, for before they cleared
the Channel the convicts on the Scarborough
had formed a plan for seizing the ship. Making slow progress by way of Teneriffe and Rio Janeiro, the fleet left the Cape of Good
Hope, where the last supplies were taken
in, on 12 Nov. On the 25th Phillip went
on board the Supply, and pushed on to the
new land, reaching Botany Bay on 18 Jan.
1788.

Phillip and HMS "Supply" reaches Australia.

Not satisfied with this situation,
Phillip set out on 22 Jan. to examine Port
Jackson, a harbour mentioned by Captain
Cook, and here, without hesitation, he
pitched the new settlement. On 26 Jan.
1788 he founded the city, which he christened
Sydney, after Thomas Townshend, Viscount
Sydney, the secretary of state; on
7 Feb. he formally inaugurated the new
government with such pomp as he could
command. But anxieties soon tested
Phillip's capacities; the supply of food was
limited, and before the end of February a
plot for a raid on the stores was discovered.

Founding the penal colony.

It was of the first importance to make the
colony self-supporting, and the soil around
Sydney turned out disappointing. The unwillingness of the convicts to work became daily more apparent, and it would be long before free settlers could be induced to come over. In October 1788 Phillip despatched the
Sirius to the Cape for help. The frigate returned in May 1789 with some small supplies; but even in January 1790 no tidings from
England had yet reached the colony; the whole settlement was on half-rations; the troops were on the verge of mutiny, and their
commanding officer was almost openly disloyal. Phillip shared in all the privations himself; kept a cheerful countenance,
encouraged exploration, and made every effort to conciliate the natives. It was not till 19 Sept. 1790 that the danger of starvation
was finally removed. About the same time Phillip's efforts to enter into regular relations with the natives bore fruit. On a visit to
the chief, Bennilong, he was attacked and
wounded by a spear; but he would allow no retaliation, and his courage produced a good effect. Bennilong sent apologies. By the firmness with which he dispensed justice to native and to convict alike, Phillip gradually won the confidence of the former, and when he left the colony in 1792 the native
chiefs Bennilong and Yemmerawanme asked to accompany him to England. To exploration Phillip had little time to devote. As
early as March 1788 he examined Broken Bay at the mouth of the Hawkesbury River,
calling the southern branch Pitt Biver, after
the prime minister. In April 1788 he made
an inland excursion, but did not get far. In July 1789 he explored the Hawkesbury River to Broken Hill. In April 1791 he set out with a party to explore the Nepean River, taking natives with him, and, not being successful, he sent another party in June 1791, which produced better results. The settlement of Norfolk Island was entirely due to Phillip and his lieutenant, King. In September 1791 his confidential envoy, King, arrived from England, and brought from the home government formal approval of his
policy. But Phillip's health was failing, and
in November he asked permission to resign.

His government was still full of difficulties.
In December the convicts made a disturbance
before Government house by way of protest
against Phillip's regulations for the issue of
provisions; Phillip repressed such disorder
with a strong hand. The home government
begged him to withdraw his resignation.
But his state of health compelled him to return to England on 11 Dec. 1792, and final permission to resign was granted him on
23 July 1793.

Phillip's energy and self-reliance, his
humanity and firmness, made a lasting impression on New South Wales. He per-
manently inspired the colony, despite the unpromising materials out of which it was formed, with an habitual respect for law, a deference to constituted authority, and an orderly behaviour (Rusden).

On his return to England Phillip's health
improved, but he lived in retirement on the
pension granted 'in consideration of his
meritorious services.' On 1 Jan. 1801 he
became rear-admiral of the blue, on 23 April
1804 rear-admiral of the white, and on
19 Nov. 1805 of the red. On 25 Oct. 1809
he was made vice-admiral of the white, and
1 on 31 July 1810 of the red. He died during
November 1814 at Bath.